Word Study for H1469 (גּוֹזָל)

gôwzâl /go-zawl'/ Ask about this word

Rootor (shortened) גֹזָלlemma גזָל missing vowel, corrected to class="strongs-hebrew-text">גֹזָל · from גָּזַל

Meaninga nestling (as being comparatively nude of feathers)

KJV usageyoung (pigeon).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gôwzâl — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word gôwzâl, represented by H1469, refers to a nestling or a young bird. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. Derived from a root suggesting being "nude of feathers," the term evokes an image of youth, vulnerability, and dependence. It is used specifically to mean a young pigeon.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1469 appears in two distinct contexts. In Genesis, it is part of a list of animals for a solemn covenant ceremony where God commands Abraham to "Take me an heifer... and a turtledove, and a young pigeon" Genesis 15:9. In Deuteronomy, the word illustrates God's tender and protective care for Israel, comparing it to an eagle that "stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings" Deuteronomy 32:11.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide deeper context for the role of a nestling:

H7064 qên (nest): This word for a nest, chamber, or dwelling is used directly with gôwzâl to describe the home the parent eagle "stirreth up" Deuteronomy 32:11. It signifies a place of security and origin from which the young must be spurred to growth.
H5404 nesher (eagle): The parent bird in the metaphor of God's care. As the eagle cares for its young H1469, so God cares for His people Deuteronomy 32:11. It represents strength and protective oversight.
H7363 râchaph (flutter, move): Describes the action of the eagle over its young. The verb means to brood or flutter and is used to depict God's hovering, protective presence, both over His people as nestlings Deuteronomy 32:11 and over the waters at creation Genesis 1:2.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1469 is seen in its symbolic usage:

Covenant Sacrifice: As a "young pigeon," the gôwzâl is designated as a pure and acceptable offering to seal God's covenant with Abraham, representing a young and vulnerable life consecrated to God Genesis 15:9.
Divine Nurturing: The imagery in Deuteronomy 32:11 powerfully portrays God's relationship with His people. He is the parent eagle who cares for the vulnerable young H1469, stirring the nest H7064 to encourage flight and maturity.
Helpless Dependence: A nestling is completely dependent on its parent for survival. The term illustrates Israel's absolute reliance on God, who "taketh them" and bears them on His wings, demonstrating His strength upholding their weakness Deuteronomy 32:11.

Summary

In summary, gôwzâl H1469 is more than a simple term for a young bird. It is a powerful symbol of vulnerability and dependence. Its two appearances in Scripture use this imagery to define the nature of a covenantal offering and, most vividly, to illustrate God's tender, protective, and strengthening care for His people.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

גּוֹזָלָי
גוֹזָל

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis and Deuteronomy (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Genesis

Deuteronomy

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.